A Sweet Beginning
by Kaoruhana
Summary: Response to the six-course challenge. Sesshomaru had to admit, his neighbor was more intriguing than he had at first pegged her for.
1. Growing Realization

Interesting

Sesshomaru parked his car in the driveway glad that another day was over at work. Today had been stressful and as the day wore on he found that the thought of returning home and getting away from all the mess at his office was growing more appealing. When he noticed it was five-thirty, he packed up his bag and immediately strode to his car. He had been angry and frustrated today and he supposed he had a good reason to be.

His neighbor was a young woman named Kagome Higurashi who happened to always come home from work around the same time he did. She was nearly always cheerful and managed to greet him with a hello as he checked his mail. She would then pose him questions about how his day had been and he grudgingly had gotten used to her presence and replied. However, that wasn't the main reason he was angry.

Though he would never admit it out loud to anyone, his young neighbor had actually managed to interest him and he found himself admitting that he liked to talk to her after a day at work. Sometimes, it was actually a little bit relaxing to let out some frustrations. And she always listened which was something he appreciated. However, she wasn't there yesterday and he didn't know if she had ever returned home. Today, he didn't notice a car in the driveway next to his either and he wondered if she was away somewhere.

As usual, he made his way towards the mailbox to check his mail and grabbed his usual allocation of junk mails and bills. He wondered if Kagome Higurashi had moved and why he hadn't been privy to that fact if she had. Sighing, he decided to head inside and ignore his growing interest in his neighbor.

The next day as he came home Higurashi's car was there sitting parked in her driveway and she was leaning against it wearing different attire than the one she was customarily seen in. She was wearing a rather low cut but tasteful dress with a clutch in her hand. He had to admit that the cobalt blue dress looked rather flattering on her and he wondered why she was dressed up as he got out of the car.

"Hello Taisho-san." she greeted with a smile making her way over to hold a proper conversation with him. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing well. And you?" he inquired making his way over to the mailbox. He had gotten junk mail again it seemed, along with a bill or two, and to his surprise an invitation which he decided to read later.

"I'm good." She stated noticing him look through his mail. "So what have you been up to the past two days?"

"Nothing much." He answered looking back up at her again. Sesshomaru was much closer to her now and had to admit he had an interest in her that was perhaps taking a different turn today. "Are you going out Higurashi-san?" he asked politely, curious as to who would be on the receiving end of her company and beauty that evening.

"Yes. My friends set me up on this date. I really don't want to go but they already made the poor guy book reservations and everything so I decided I might as well enjoy some good food for the evening." He nodded suddenly feeling a little jealous that some other man was her date that night.

"Well Higurashi-san, I hope you enjoy your date." She sighed, playing with the hem of her dress and though Sesshomaru was planning on going inside soon he waited to see if she had anything else to say.

"May I ask you something Taisho-san?" He nodded and she continued. "Do you think I should go ahead with my plans? I don't want to be seen as a bad person but I just don't think I'm in the dating mood right now. I'm afraid I might just be leading this guy on tonight and I was wondering if you had any advice to give me?"

Sesshomaru wasn't sure of what to say. His neighbor had talked a bit about herself before but he had never gotten so much information out of her. To be truthful, he had no idea what to do or say to her.

"It would be pointless to waste a reservation." That was the only reply that he could fathom and he hoped she wouldn't think he was some ridiculous miser as a result of it.

"Thank you." She smiled and Sesshomaru couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was in that instant. All too soon, a car horn beeped and she turned to see that her date had arrived.

"Oh, that's my date. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded once again feeling a little jealous as he walked inside. As he shut the door he realized that Kagome Higurashi had seeped under his skin and slowly become an interest that could not be easily ignored. But what in the world would he do about it?


	2. Her Personality

**Title: **Her Personality  
><strong>Author:<strong> Kaoruhana  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> Six-Course Challenge – Bisque  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Romance  
><strong>AUCU:** Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>OC characters  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 715  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Sesshomaru begins to understand Kagome's actions.  
><strong>AN: **First installment of "A Sweet Beginning"  
><strong>Link: <strong>/fanfiction/story/4183/2

Her Personality

It seemed that the date had indeed been a failure as she had articulated to him the day after. Her date for the evening had been nothing short of boring. He was too scared and timid she had told him and she hated the fact that he would rather hide from a conversation than slowly ease into it.

But that was over a month ago. Ever since the day of the date he had noticed that Higurashi seemed to be more open around him and he found that the usual boring car ride home was usually filled with thoughts on what kind of mood his lovely neighbor was in that day.

If she had a good day at work she would be cheery and hold a bright edge to everything she did making her resemble a child. If she had a bad day he could tell by the way she stomped out of her car towards her mailbox before stopping to talk to him and venting out her frustrations. If she was tired, she would politely excuse herself and he would wait until she was safely inside her own home before venturing into his. If she was depressed, she would causally say hello and move away before he could engage her in conversation. He found that on those days he would wish her good-night before making his way inside his own home.

Today, he decided, as he pulled into his driveway was a good day. She was smiling radiantly as she waited by her mailbox another trait he had learned she possessed. Two weeks ago, he had cursed traffic wondering if Higurashi would still be there even if he made it home fifteen minutes later than usual. As usual she was there, kindly informing him that she rather liked their after-work talks and wanted to wait for him. He got out of his car and walked towards his mailbox watching as she made her way over as well.

"Hello Taisho-san, how are you today?" She began as she did customarily.

"Good. And you Higurashi-san?" He opened his mailbox scanning the contents and sighing when he noticed only bills and junk.

"Oh I'm doing great today. Do you know why?" She paused for a dramatic affect and then continued. "My brothers are coming to visit this weekend!"

"Have you not seem then in a while?" he asked trying to make this small conversation last longer. He always seemed to do that and his neighbor seemed to catch on. She didn't mind his short quipped answers and elaborated herself.

"It sure has. Souta is studying architecture in Kyoto and so he rarely gets to come. But it's some kind of break for him so he's home now. And Shippo just came back from Hokkaido with Miroku. Oh, it's going to be so nice to see all of them again!"

"I'm sure it will be." He answered wondering just how big a part of Kagome's life these men were.

"I'd like you to meet them Taisho-san." She confessed sounding nervous. "It's okay if you don't want to but I think you and Miroku might be friends." Her eyes darted around never really looking at my face and he decided to put an ease to her nerves.

"I'd love to meet them Higurashi-san." She seemed highly pleased and threw her arms around him in joy. He hadn't expected this and stiffened but she seemed not to notice it as she let go.

"You'll love them, I promise." She sang skipping away to her house. "Come by my house for dinner around seven on Saturday Taisho-san." He nodded as she walked away and slowly walked back into the house with a smile.

Kagome Higurashi was a woman of many flavors and you had to appreciate all of them. He savored the smiles on her face as she radiated with joy and loved how her eyes had a dark shine to them when she was angry. His interest in her grew day by day and he wondered what flavors she would shoot out at me next. Whatever flavor it may be he was happy that she was in his company and that was all that mattered. After all, every flavor that Kagome's personality took needed to be savored and appreciated.


	3. Jealous

**Title: **Jealous  
><strong>Author:<strong> Kaoruhana  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> Six-Course Challenge – Intermezzos  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Romance  
><strong>AUCU:** Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>OC characters  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 904  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Sesshomaru and Kagome both have guests over.  
><strong>AN: **Third installment of "A Sweet Beginning"  
><strong>Link: <strong>.com/fanfiction/story/4183/3 

Jealous

Sesshomaru nervously stood outside his neighbor's door wondering whether or not to go in. Finally, he rang the doorbell deciding that since he had given his word to come to Higurashi-san's house for dinner he would do so. He waited only a short while before a man opened the door. He was young, around the same age as he himself Sesshomaru guessed. He looked a little like Higurashi-san but unlike Higurashi-san's warm coffee-brown eyes the man's eyes were a dark violet nearly bordering on black.

"Hello." The man stated looking at him. "I'm Higurashi Miroku and you are?" Sesshomaru hastily replied.

"Taisho Sesshomaru." Miroku's eyebrows rose as he nodded his head.

"Nice to meet you Taisho-san. Come in." Sesshomaru entered his neighbor's house. He slipped off his shoes and followed Higurashi-san's brother into the living room noting that while their houses both had the same layout hers had a cozier appeal compared to his. Once they were in the living room, Miroku announced Sesshomaru's arrival.

"Souta, Shippo." The two men who were lounging on the sofa watching a soccer game looked up. "This is Taisho-san." Immediately their eyes lit up in recognition and Sesshomaru had to wonder if there was a reason behind that. Had they heard about him from Higurashi-san?

"Nice to meet you." The youngest announced. "I'm Shippo." The other brother was the last to introduce himself.

"And I'm Souta." Sesshomaru nodded as the two moved around and indicated that he was to take a seat. He took a seat and the questioning began.

"So you're the man who has become my sister's friend." It was a statement said by Miroku but Sesshomaru understood the underlying implicit question underneath it. He was after all an older brother himself and he wouldn't hesitate to skin alive anyone that harmed his little sister.

"Yes." He answered with a tone of authority. He wanted the men to understand that he didn't view Higurashi-san as a mere throw-away item. She was important to him and she was his interest. He wanted to get to know her not just discard her.

"What are your interests in Kagome?" Souta questioned as he looked towards the kitchen to make sure his sister was still busy.

Sesshomaru wasn't sure how to answer him. Did he want to date her? Of course he did, but she had just recently said she wasn't in the dating mood. Did he want to pursue a relationship with her? Yes. But how was he going to tell that to Higurashi-san's three brothers?

"I want to date her when she feels interested." He stated finally not knowing how this would sound to the three men. Surprisingly, they laughed at his words.

"When she's interested? That's a good one!" Shippo managed to say between bouts of laughter. "Gosh you're dense!" Sesshomaru was utterly confused. Did that mean that Higurashi-san was interested in him as well all along? His thoughts were cut short when the woman herself walked into the living room.

"Taisho-san!" she greeted with a smile, "I'm glad you could come." She noticed that the four men were sitting together and laughing at something so she couldn't help but have the smile on her face grow. "And I see you've met my brothers."

He nodded unable to answer. She looked absolutely radiant today he mused with a smile. The black dress she was wearing managed to bring out the best features in her.

"Well dinner's ready so why don't we go eat?"

A few hours later, Sesshomaru stepped out the door with Kagome following. She had managed to pry him away from her brothers for a few minutes while she said her goodbyes to him outside.

"Thank you for coming Sesshomaru-san." She hadn't managed to notice the change she made until she had said it and she blushed. Sesshomaru caught onto it immediately and his eyes widened in happiness.

"Thank you for inviting me Kagome-san." He paused and smiled as his words took on the desired effect. Just as he was about to ask her something else he heard his name being shouted. Turning, Sesshomaru saw a figure by his mailbox.

"Rin?" he asked as he made his way over. What was she doing here? Wasn't she supposed to be at home?

"Sesshomaru." She ran to him and he embraced her as she silently cried.

"Rin," he cooed gently as he spoke, "what's wrong?"

"I can't go back home ever. They'll never take me back." Sesshomaru gently rubbed her back and probed her for answers but she refused to reply. Silently, Sesshomaru did the only thing he could, he held her until she fell asleep. He picked her up and saw Kagome standing silhouetted by her front door.

"Is she okay Taisho-san?" She asked carefully not noticing the way Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in distaste at her use of Taisho instead of Sesshomaru.

"She fell asleep." He answered her before moving to take her inside.

"Taisho-san?" He turned back to his neighbor. "Who is she?" Sesshomaru didn't see the harm in telling her.

"She's my little sister Rin." He answered moving towards his house again. When he was at the door he heard Kagome call his name again.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted you to know that if you need any help you can always come get me," she answered hesitantly before adding, "Sesshomaru-san."

He confirmed her statement with a nod as he walked inside his house. It was when he was inside the house, that he realized something. She had only referred to him as Taisho-san again when she saw him with Rin. Had Higurashi-san been jealous? Sesshomaru couldn't help but let out a laugh at her. If she was jealous, well he didn't mind her being cold towards him. After all, that meant good news to him- she was interested after all.


	4. A New Friend

Sesshomaru made his way out of his car and acknowledged Kagome. She made her way over and he waited for her before the two began walking toward his mailbox.

"How are you today Sesshomaru-san?"

"Good and you Kagome-san?" She smiled as he opened the mailbox and grabbed the mail as usual, not thumbing through it today.

"I'm doing well." Sesshomaru waited as Kagome fidgeted and wondered what was bothering her. He soon got his answer.

"How is she?" He immdediately knew she was referrring to Rin. Rin had been staying at his house for the past three days and still had refused to talk to him. He figured that the matter involved her boyfriend Kohaku because the boy called his house daily and begged Rin to reconsider her actions.

At first he had been wary and refused to let Rin speak to him. It was only when Kohaku told him that everything was all right and that Mr. and Mrs. Taisho had forgiven them both that he knew something was up. He had wanted to ask Kohaku for answers but couldn't summon up the willpower to do so and thus it was Rin who was left to answer his questions.

"She still does not want to talk." His voice was a bit pained and Sesshomaru had every right to be. Rin trusted him with everything and never hid anything from him. This was the first time that Sesshomaru had no idea what was wrong with his sister and he had no idea what to do to help her.

"Well, if you don't mind maybe I could talk to her?" Kagome asked unsure. "It might help if she talked about whatever happened with another female you know?" Sesshomaru thought about her idea. What Kagome said made sense and he wondered why he had not thought of that before. Perhaps being in the company of another female would help Rin.

"That would be appreciated Kagome-san. I don't know how she would react but I appreciate your help in the matter." He turned to go back inside his house and beckoned Kagome to follow.

Sesshomaru walked into his house with Kagome following. He led her up the stairs and to the guest bedroom where Rin was staying. He knocked twice before he heard a come in and opened the door gesturing for Kagome to come inside with him.

Rin looked up at the two visitors with puffy eyes. She had been crying again, Sesshomaru noted feeling terribly at a loss of what to do. After a few moments, he cleared his throat and began introductions.

"Rin, this is my neighbor Kagome Higurashi. She wanted to talk to you." He was fidgeting and clearly unsure about what else he could do in this situation. Incling hsi head to Kagome's, he left, closing the door in the process.

"Um hi Rin. It's nice to meet you." Kagome began trying to ease the awkward atmosphere that she had been left in.

"You too." Rin was puzzled by her brother's actions but noticed that Kagome had been left standing while she was lying on the bed. "You can sit here, if you want." She indicated a spot on the bed that was relatively free and Kagome took the seat offered.

"Is everything okay?" the older of the two stated indicating Rin's puffy eyes. "I mean you don't have to tell me if you don't want to but I'm here to listen." The two sat again in silence and Kagome neither urged Rin nor showed that she was fully disinterested. She stared into the other girl's eyes and calmly waited for her response.

"It's not okay." Rin whispered suddenly and Kagome held her hand offering the girl some silent support. "I've wanted to tell nii-chan for days but I'm just so afraid that he'll be disappointed in me. I can't bear to see him that way." Tears were slowly leaking out of Rin's eyes and Kagome drew the girl closer to her, embracing her and gently rubbing her back. Whatever Rin had to say she needed to get it off her chest and Kagome was willing to help her do that.

Rin hadn't wanted to hide from Sesshomaru but she just needed a female presence to cry on. She was glad that Kagome was there because she needed some female companionship desperately and she didn't want it in the form of her girlfriends or her mother. It felt better to cry in front of a stranger rather than a close friend or confidante.

"I'm pregnant." Rin stated as her tears subsided to the occasional sniffle. "I didn't mean for it to happen and nii-chan's always told me to be careful but I wasn't and I can't help but think he'll hate me."

"Sesshomaru-san won't hate you," Kagome assured as Rin drew away to look at her, "he may be disappointed yes, but that doesn't mean he won't love you anymore. He's been worried sick for the past three days and even though he tries to hide it I can see it in his face. He's family and I know he loves you very much." Rin's face expressed the hesitation in her mind.

"How can you say that so surely?"

"Tell me Rin, have you two ever fought?" Kagome herself had her fair number of fights with her brothers and more than one of them had ended on non-speaking terms from one party. However, as time ebbed so did the anger and sooner or later she was laughing with them again. They could never stay mad at each other for long and she had a feeling that the same was true in Sesshomaru and Rin's relationship.

"Yes."

"And even though you may have been angry at one another the anger faded didn't it?" Rin's eyes widened as she understood what Kagome was trying to say. "So no matter what, I think he'll be happy. You have to remember that it's not just your life that will change- your brother will be an uncle too." An understanding silence ensued as both heard Kagome's words.

"I've been rather selfish the past three days haven't I?"

"No you haven't. You were just afraid and that's completely normal." Kagome squeezed Rin's hand and gave her a heartfelt smile. "But you just have to realize that you can't hide from this forever." Rin's answering smile belied the courage that the girl now had as she decided to face her brother.

"Can you wait a while then?" Her voice was low and shy. She was grateful to Kagome, but didn't want to impose on her. "I want to freshen up before I tell him and if it's okay can you stay with me?"

"Of course."

Ten minutes later the girls entered the kitchen where Sesshomaru was making dinner. He noticed them both almost immediately and washed his hands as he instructed them to sit at stools near the island. He felt a sudden immense gratitude towards Kagome. Rin had been so silent and reserved hardly even eating any food and now she had made her way out of the room and was actually giving him a smile.

"Rin?" He asked hesitantly, not wanting to broach any dangerous territory.

"I'm sorry." She began holding up a hand when it looked like her brother was going to interrupt. "It's just I-" She was getting scared again and Kagome gently placed a hand on her shoulder giving her the courage she needed to finish. "I'm pregnant." Rin paused waiting for a reaction.

Sesshomaru was baffled. His little sister was going to be a mother? He knew that she and Kohaku had plans of getting married but she was only twenty-one. He realized that she was waiting for an answer and the hopeful shine in her eyes along with the fear in her expression made him understand what she was going through. She had been so scared and ran away turning to him for support and he did not have the heart to say no to it.

"How far along are you?" He asked moving to sit by her side.

"About six weeks." She answered with a smile. "I still have a while to go." His reaction had been better than she had expected and she smiled answering any and all questions he posed. Hours later, she and Kagome couldn't help but laugh as Sesshomaru fussed over every minute detail of her stay.

Two days later as Rin left with Kohaku in tow she turned to her brother with a smile. During the past two days, she and Kagome had become fast friends and she could see the obvious attraction between her and Sesshomaru. She leaned closer to his ear and whispered.

"Keep her nii-chan, I think she's good for you." Sesshomaru watched as the couple left his house and smirked to himself. His neighbor seemed to have made a good impression on Rin and that was rare as the girl was highly reserved when it came to friendship.

Rin's words echoed in his mind as he watched her and Kohaku drive away. Kagome was standing near his driveway as she said goodbye to her new-found friend. Perhaps it was time he acted on his sister's words.


	5. Peachy

Peachy

Kagome turned from her spot by the mailbox as she heard footsteps behind her and smiled at Sesshomaru. She wondered what it was that Rin had whispered in his ear before she left. Whatever it was, it made Sesshomaru blush slightly. When he stood next to her, he finally spoke.

"Kagome-san, what are you doing this evening?" She was surprised at his rather uncharacteristic question as she answered him.

"Nothing much. And you Sesshomaru-san?" Sesshomaru paused as he wondered how to pose his next question. He wanted to make sure that Kagome would not flat-out refuse his proposal and at the same time he wanted to show her his true intentions.

"Would you like to eat dinner together?" It was a question that could be interpreted in many ways. He could be inviting her over as a thank you for helping Rin or repay her for the earlier dinner at her house. The invite could also be seen as a dinner between friends or something else. She wasn't sure what he was hinting at but decided to take up the offer.

"What's on the menu?" Sesshomaru was glad that she had taken up the offer but wasn't sure what he could make. He couldn't remember what he had in his cupboards or in his fridge.

"We could see what I have." He uttered wondering if that had been too forward of him.

"Okay." He led the way inside and the two were in the kitchen soon enough. They explored the cupboards and refrigerator before deciding on classic pasta- spaghetti with tomato sauce.

Kagome stood by the stove, watching the sauce simmer and boil as Sesshomaru stood in front of the pot. She hesitantly poked his shoulder and he turned his attentions to her.

"You think I should taste it?" She pointed to the sauce and Sesshomaru nodded in response. He grabbed a spoon and dipped it slowly into the sauce before handing it to Kagome who blew it and then tasted.

"It's so good!" She exclaimed dipping her spoon in again and handing it to Sesshomaru. "Taste it!" He obliged and had to admit the sauce was quite good and rather tasty. But was it the indirect kiss that made it tastier and much more exciting to his taste buds?

"I think it's ready." He announced as he grabbed the sauce and tossed it into the already done spaghetti noodles.

After dinner the two found themselves on his sofa enjoying a nice talk. Kagome had to admit that she felt rather comfortable in his presence and now was only wishing he would do something more. She was confident that her indirect kiss had gotten some response from him but after that nothing else had happened. Sesshomaru had cut up some peaches which he found and she bit into one of the juicy pieces feeling juices run down her chin. She hastily wiped traces of the juice away and smiled at him.

"These are quite delicious don't you think?"

"Yes." He watched her take another piece and couldn't help but wonder if she was waiting for something from him. He had been getting that vibe from her all evening and he wondered what he should do. She pushed the plate of peaches away and reached for the glass of wine he had poured for her.

"Thank you for the dinner, I enjoyed it." He wasn't sure what to answer her but as she turned to look at him he was suddenly taken aback by the way she looked. Kaogome had always been pretty but today she looked radiant. Her eyes were more pronounced adding definition and grace to her face. Her lips were plump and red- she had been biting her lip- and they looked like they were waiting to be kissed. As she made an attempt to bite her lip again, he acted.

Kagome blinked as the glass in her hand was placed on the table. She didn't even get a chance to question Sesshomaru's actions as any reply she could have made was cut short by his lips on hers. He tastes like the wine she thought as he pulled her closer.

Sesshomaru was more than happy as the woman in his arms responded to the kiss. She tasted of peaches and gods just having her in his arms sent his brain haywire. He pulled her closer and after a few more minutes, slowly drew away, leaving intermittent pecks in the wake of the heated encounter.

When Kagome opened her eyes after the kiss she licked her lips and noticed Sesshomaru's eyes glowing into hers. That alone made her blush as she thought about what they'd just done. But it also gave her hope. He was interested in her! She was so happy and lost in her own thoughts that only his whisper by her ear brought her back to her senses.

"I think those peaches were really tasty."


	6. Sweet Beginning

Sweet Beginnings

Kagome was confused. She really had no idea what Sesshomaru had thought about the kiss. It had been two days and she hadn't heard anything from him. He wasn't home when she arrived and had come home around eight last night- far too late for her standards. Was he avoiding her and did he regret the kiss? She hoped that he didn't.

Kagome found herself looking outside her window every few minutes waiting to see if Sesshomaru's car was coming up his driveway. It was nearly nine and she was worried. What if something had happened to him at work? A ring from her phone cut her musings short and she ran to pick it up wondering who was calling her now.

Sesshomaru cursed his work. He hated working overtime and yet he was forced to do just that since his father had taken a week off to settle matters with Rin. He wondered why his brother wasn't here- surely his wife wouldn't mind. It seemed that everyone thought he had nothing better to do and so all the work was pushed on him.

He sighed as he stared at the clock- it read nine-thirty. Rin had called him earlier and asked him why he wasn't with Kagome. He told her curtly of his work and then hung up. Sesshomaru picked up the take-out on his desk and dumped the empty boxes in the trash before he shut down his computer and left the office. Someone else could take the brunt of his work for a change.

He arrived home around ten at night noticing something near his door as he pulled up into the driveway. What- or more specifically who- was the person sitting on his front porch? Sesshomaru made his way to the door and stopped short as he noticed it was Kagome.

"Sesshomaru-san, how are you?" Kagome had gotten a call from Rin earlier that night and had, just a few minutes ago, decided to stake outside her neighbor's house. It was almost summer so the nights were pleasant and she enjoyed sitting outside. Now, as she noticed the expression on Sesshomaru's face she wondered if she had done the right thing.

"What are you doing here?" Sesshomaru opened the door and walked inside, with Kagome following. He hoped that she hadn't been outside for long.

"Rin told me you had extra work at the office. I thought that we could talk about what happened a few days ago and so I decided to wait for you."

"Talk about what happened?" he asked carefully, trying hard not to sound insecure. She steeled herself before speaking the sentence that she had perfected in her mind.

"Well, to put it simply, I'd like to think that the kiss was a precursor to something more. I kind of like the idea of you and me being in a relationship."

"You do?" he asked happy. "I admit I like the idea as well." He paused as he tried to figure out what to say next. "Perhaps we could go out to dinner this Friday?"

"That sounds great." She wondered suddenly why she had come at night to have this discussion. Hesitantly, she got up to leave but was stopped.

"Stay." Kagome's questioning eyes had Sesshomaru try to explain. "I mean, you don't have to, but I just thought you would like something to eat or-" He was cut short by a kiss.

"I'd like to stay," she admitted suddenly feeling a little shy, "but I just want to make sure you're okay with this." The underlying hint was obvious and though Sesshomaru hadn't thought about that when he asked her to stay he couldn't help but agree with her right now.

"I am." He caught Kagome's lips in a heated kiss that tasted slightly of chocolate and hazelnut and couldn't help but wonder if he was the luckiest man alive for being able to kiss the woman in front of him. Pulling away, he picked her up, and carried her to the bedroom loving it when she blushed and begged him to put her down.

Once inside, he let her down and proceeded to loosen his tie, surprised when a pair of hands stopped him.

"May I?" He didn't say a word as she proceeded to remove him of his clothes and smiled when she stopped short of removing his boxers.

He kissed her again, this time taking it slow and moving his hands across her bare arms. Reaching for the zipper on her dress, he pulled it down and the two tumbled onto his bed. For Sesshomaru this was the best treat he could ever get. He was insanely happy and loved how Kagome's skin tasted like peaches- his new favorite fruit. Kagome couldn't help but think that it was a fitting end to an insane attraction as he removed her bra. As Sesshomaru proceeded to play with her, she couldn't help but think this was a wonderful beginning of a perfect relationship as well.


End file.
